The beginnings of formal education date back to the ancient world, and many words we associate with school life have surprising roots in the past. This instalment of Word Stories highlights the origins of some words that characterize modern school life.

A lot has changed over the centuries, but sporting events still provide a very public stage for the high drama of tragedy and triumph. This Word Stories instalment shines a spotlight on the long pedigrees of some common words related to athletic effort and competition.

Will you be celebrating International Tea Day on May 21? From a word lover’s point of view, it’s a good time to reflect on the impressive history of our daily caffeine fixes. Take a quick coffee break, then, and savour these delicious, stimulating stories of the world’s favourite hot drinks.

This Word Stories instalment examines the way sounds can get switched around in words—sometimes forever—in a linguistic process called metathesis.